By Anonymous on Oct 09, 2015 12:17 am
[UPDATE] The beta is now live across all three platforms. Download it now through the links here: Xbox One, PS4, PC. The original story is below. The day has arrived. Beginning today, October 8, DICE is letting everyone play its upcoming sci-fi shooter Star Wars Battlefront by way of an open beta across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The beta officially begins at 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT, but it's available to pre-load now on PC through Origin. We'll update this post when the beta is released, or you can constantly refresh this download page. Battlefront's beta includes a Survival Mission, as well as the 40-player Walker Assault and Drop Zone modes. In addition, beta players can check out the Battlefront companion experience through its website to earn items for the main game. For more on the beta, check out the video preview above. The beta runs through October 12. It's 7 GB on PS4/Xbox One, while the PC edition weighs in at 11 GB. Battlefront launches on November 17, about a month before Disney's Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theaters in December. EA is also releasing tie-in DLC for Battlefront based on the movie. Xbox One owners with an EA Access membership will get to play Battlefront first, as it will be available through the subscription program a full five days early. In other Battlefront news, Sony announced a general PS4 price cut today, which also applies to the special edition Darth Vader PS4 bundle. That means you can get it for $400 instead of $450.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 11:52 pm
While beta tests are often nothing more than a glorified demo or a network stress test, it appears Call of Duty: Black Ops III's was more meaningful for developer Treyarch. The studio today outlined a number of ways the game's multiplayer mode is changing as a result of beta feedback. In a PlayStation Blog post, design director David Vonderhaar highlighted ten such adjustments that will be in place for the game's launch. While these aren't major alterations to its design, many of them sound like changes for the better. Chief among them, the Black Hat hacking mechanic has been changed. It now takes longer to steal a scorestreak (particularly the higher-end ones), and the game will now do a better job of alerting players of when this is occurring. Hackers will also be called out on the map, making them easier targets. A new limit has been put in place to reduce the amount of flinching that happens when aiming down the sights of a weapon and being shot at. Vonderhaar said the flinch effect was allowed to stack during the beta, and while flinching hasn't been removed entirely, it will now "be within tighter constraints to keep you closer to your aim." The Rejack ability, allowing a certain character class to immediately revive, has also been adjusted. Anyone who kills someone using Rejack is now credited with a kill, and any scorestreak progress the Rejack user has made will be reset. In other words, Rejack won't allow players to achieve high-end scorestreaks even after they've died. Other changes: more feedback to let you know you're hitting (and have killed) enemies; concussion grenades stun players for one less second; escorting the robot in Safeguard provides +25 score every three seconds; and the kill cam offers more information, such as the weapons and equipment your killer has equipped. You can see the full list here, though it doesn't appear to be a comprehensive one. There's a reference to weapon balancing, but only two weapons (the M8A7 rifle and Razorback submachine gun) are specifically mentioned, and there's no indication of what was actually adjusted. Black Ops III's beta was available back in August on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, though it was available first on PS4. The blog post notes that PS4 beta testers will soon receive a dynamic theme to thank them for their time. More details on this are coming next week. The full version of Black Ops III is slated for released on November 6 for the aforementioned platforms, as well as Xbox 360 and PS3.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 11:30 pm
 Justin is joined by the developers of Sword Coast Legends to play through a Dungeon together.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 11:16 pm
Battlefield Hardline joins the EA Access library of free games on October 14, Electronic Arts announced today. It was already confirmed that the cops-and-robbers shooter would arrive in October for the Xbox One subscription service, but until now, the specific release date was unknown. As with all other EA Access free games, this is the full version of Hardline with no time limits or other caps. Hardline becomes the fourteenth game available in the EA Access "Vault," following the most recent addition, Dragon Age: Inquisition, which arrived in August. EA Access is currently available only on Xbox One. You can sign up for $5/month or $30/year. Other subscription benefits include a 10-percent discount on all EA digital content and access to upcoming EA titles five days before they are released publicly. Originally scheduled to launch at the end of 2014, Hardline--developed by Dead Space studio Visceral Games--was eventually released in March 2015 for consoles and PC. GameSpot's review scored it a 7/10. In addition to ongoing support for Hardline, Visceral is working on a new Star Wars game, development of which is being led by former Uncharted director Amy Hennig. EA Access Free Game Lineup:
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 11:05 pm
Following up on the UFOs that began appearing in-game last month, Valve has released the Invasion update for Team Fortress 2. The contents of this update are entirely community-made, as Valve said this year's Halloween event would be. That includes the excellent short film above, which sees UFOs begin to invade as the game's characters watch a 3D movie (save for the Pyro and the poor, one-eyed Demoman). Four new maps have been added, one of which is a UFO-ified version of 2Fort. There are also new cosmetics, including a lightsaber-esque bat, that can be unlocked through new Invasion cases, though you'll need to purchase a special key in order to open a case. Getting those cases also first requires you spend some money by purchasing the $2 Invasion Community Update Pass. This entitles you to an Invasion Community Update Coin, which tracks your stats during the event and allows you to earn Invasion case drops through the end of the year. All proceeds from purchases of the Update Pass go to the community members responsible for the update.                      All of this now available in-game. The Update Pass will remain on sale for the duration of the event, set to run from now through November 5. You can check out some of the cosmetic items (and a chestburster-style emote) on TF2's website.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 10:11 pm
Marvel's Phase Three of superhero movies is yet to kick off, but the schedule is already changing. The studio has announced that this summer's Ant-Man is to get a sequel that will be released on July 6, 2018. Titled Ant-man and the Wasp, it will see Paul Rudd return as the miniature hero, teaming up with Evangeline Lilly's equally diminutive sidekick.  The film will now occupy the release slot originally taken by Black Panther, which has moved forward to February 16, 2018, with Captain Marvel shifting from November that year to March 2019. There are rumours that Ben Affleck's first standalone Batman movie for DC might also see a November 2016 release, which could account for this latter move. In addition to these date changes, Marvel has lined up three currently untitled films for 2020, to be released on May 1, July 10, and November 6. The complete Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Three schedule now looks like this: - May 6, 2016: Captain America: Civil War
- November 4, 2016: Doctor Strange
- May 5, 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- July 28, 2017: Spider-Man
- November 3, 2017: Thor: Ragnarok
- February 16, 2018: Blank Panther
- May 4, 2018: Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1
- July 6, 2018: Ant-Man and the Wasp
- March 8, 2019: Captain Marvel
- May 3, 2019: Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2
- July 12, 2019: Inhumans
- May 1, 2020: Unknown Marvel Film
- July 10, 2020: Unknown Marvel Film
- November 6, 2020: Unknown Marvel Film
Ant-Man was released this summer to strong reviews, and although it hasn't grossed as much as likes of The Avengers or Iron Man movies, it has earned a very healthy $409 million at the global box office.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 10:08 pm
Microsoft has released the launch trailer for Halo: The Fall of Reach, the upcoming animated series, which is based on the 2001 Erik Nylund novel of the same name. The animated show is a three-act series set both before and after the Covenant attack, showing the origins of Master Chief and the Spartan program. The Fall of Reach is included with the $100 Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition and will also be available to buy and watch separately. Halo 5 launches on October 27 exclusively for Xbox One. Microsoft also recently confirmed that the game has gone gold and will sponsor a NASCAR event later this month. In addition, the game's awesome-looking Forge mode will launch in December, while lots and lots of free multiplayer DLC is in the works. Are you looking forward to The Fall of Reach? Let us know in the comments below.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 09:03 pm
With Sony's first-party PlayStation 4 games lineup this holiday lacking major titles by the company's own admission, Sony is looking to Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection to help sell consoles. PlayStation UK product manager Joe Palmer says in a new interview that, because so many PS4 owners have never played Uncharted before, this collection has the potential be had a major impact on system sales. "It certainly has the power to be a system-seller this Christmas," Palmer told MCV. "It offers fantastic value as a gifting proposition, giving newcomers the chance to pick up a PlayStation 4 with three great games at a very competitive price. PlayStation's audience base has also changed significantly since the original Uncharted games were released, so there's a huge number of gamers looking to buy a PS4 who may never have played these games before." By Naughty Dog's own estimations, around 80 percent of PS4 owners have never played an Uncharted game. Palmer said The Nathan Drake Collection not only appeals to these people, but also fans who already played the game but want to "play through the series again in all its remastered glory." The Nathan Drake Collection launches tomorrow, October 9, the same day that the PS4 price drops to $350. The price cut also applies to numerous bundles, including The Nathan Drake Collection package. The Nathan Drake Collection, which includes 1080p/60fps versions of the PlayStation 3 games Drake's Fortune,Among Thieves, and Drake's Deception (but not PS Vita title Golden Abyss), was developed by Bluepoint Games, not Naughty Dog. It also comes with access to the Uncharted 4: A Thief's End multiplayer beta, which begins in December. For more on The Nathan Drake Collection, check out GameSpot's review and what other critics are saying.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 08:33 pm
Sony has released PlayStation Network sales charts for September 2015, revealing that Destiny was the top-selling overall PlayStation 4 game, presumably buoyed by the appeal of the game's latest expansion, The Taken King. Destiny beat out new release Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (launched on September 1), while the other top-performing titles during the month were FIFA 16, NBA 2K16, and Madden NFL 16. For PlayStation 3, Destiny was also the top-selling title, while the game's Taken King expansion led the way on both the PS4 and PS3 DLC sales charts. Meanwhile, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD was the top-selling PlayStation Vita game and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas did the best in the PlayStation Classics category. September 2015 PSN Sales ChartsPS4- Destiny
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- FIFA 16
- NBA 2K16
- Madden NFL 16
- NHL 16
- Rocket League
- Mad Max
- Until Dawn
- Grand Theft Auto V
PS3:- Destiny
- FIFA 16
- The Last of Us
- Minecraft
- Red Dead Redemption
- PES 2016
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Goat Simulator
- Okami HD
Head to the PlayStation Blog to see the complete lists of best-selling September 2015 games and DLC across all platforms.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 08:30 pm
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone is at once a horror story, a romance, a character study, and a classic fairy tale. And somehow, these disparate parts mesh to form a cohesive whole. This is CD Projekt Red's first paid expansion for its masterful RPG, and it fits seamlessly into Geralt's narrative. Although it's meant for late-game characters around level 30, it's available at any point in your playthrough. And like many experiences in The Witcher 3, the expansion's main draw is its twisting storylines and vivid inhabitants. It's difficult to talk about these elements without ruining the experience as a whole. CD Projekt Red presents its own dark take on weddings, haunted houses, and the story of the prince and the frog. Quests never resolved how I expected them to, and seldom how I hoped. They even ventured into metaphysical environments, and gorgeous as they were, there's a haunting presence to them. Hearts of Stone runs the gamut of fantasy tropes, but subverts every one. It's this willingness to take successful risks that sets these quests, and the story they compose, apart. Many of these storylines trace back to one man: Gaunter O'Dimm. Geralt calls him the Merchant of Mirrors. Others know him as the Man of Glass. He's a character who makes you feel uneasy with a glance and, even when he seemed relaxed, I always had my thumb hovering over the attack button. You get the sense he knows far more than he lets on. Hearts of Stone paints him in a complex fashion, melding his odd behavior with a strange charm, thereby creating someone who doesn't fit any archetype. There are more than cobwebs inside this manor.But there are good people in the Northern Kingdoms, too, however few and far between. Hearts of Stone reintroduces Shani, the medic from Oxenfurt, who reprises her role from the original Witcher. She's my favorite character here, and maybe in all of The Witcher 3. She's equal parts charming, caring, and clever. In fact, Shani's much smarter than Geralt: your responses have a time limit more frequently when speaking with her. She's quick witted, but only gives that away the more time you spend with her. Shani's mother wants her to find a husband, but she's too busy with her own medical practice, and doesn't feel the need for a serious partner. While many women in The Witcher 3 play minor roles, often supplemental to men, Shani is a vivid character in her own right. She's a foil to both Geralt and the dark world he lives in--maybe that's the reason for their romantic past. If you don't remember, or weren't aware of that history from the earlier games, it doesn't matter too much. CD Projekt Red conveys it with expert dialogue and subtle visual cues. Pay attention to Shani's shuffling feet. Listen as Geralt softens the edge in his voice. It's not often you can read into animated characters' body language, but here, Shani's lingering glances and Geralt's looser gestures tell a story in themselves. Shani even knows how many scars Geralt accumulated since last they met--27, to be exact. Once again, CD Projekt Red excels at capturing the details. While many women in The Witcher 3 play minor roles, often supplemental to men, Shani is a vivid character in her own.
In between these living stories and fluid narratives are engrossing quests. I planned a heist, recruited team members, and cringed as my plan fell apart. I attended a wedding straight out of a sitcom, complete with praiseworthy comedy and awkward scenarios. Even in the absence of combat and supernatural catastrophes, Hearts of Stone pulled me through with expert pacing--for the most part. CD Projekt Red implemented several mini-games throughout this expansion, most of which were tracking sections. Geralt's Witcher senses usually lead you only a few feet away to a breakable wall, or hidden object, that seem placed only to remind you of the man's superhuman detective abilities. There's also an infuriating section that places you in a muddy pen as you try to herd pigs toward their respective troughs. The activity alone breaks the overall immersion, but Geralt's wide turns double the annoyance factor. Geralt's not exactly himself in this scene.But these activities are negligible in the grand scheme of things. When combat does rear its head, there are unique enemies and tenacious boss battles to keep the dynamism alive. In fact, I saw three such enemies within the first two hours of Hearts of Stone. I fought a mage, a headless swordsman, and a hideous beast much larger than Geralt, with more complex attack patterns than many of the Northern Kingdoms' other denizens. There's another enemy later, in a graveyard outside an abandoned manor, whose character design echoes the horrors of Pan's Labyrinth. It's grotesque. It's terrifying. Its abilities make for one of the more grueling encounters I've faced as Geralt. Defeating that thing was both a triumph and a relief. The Witcher 3's first paid expansion is well worth the return to the Northern Kingdoms.
For all of its storylines, and all of its varied combat, Hearts of Stone houses deeper themes. Matters of regret, apathy, death, and the passage of time pervade every character's motivations. One woman laments the monster her husband turned out to be. "I've stopped wondering what you feel about me anymore," she says. "I don't feel anything," he replies. And in an intimate moment between Shani and Geralt, the former asks the Witcher if he worries about never falling in love. The response is up to you. This thematic pulse elevates an already great batch of content. Hearts of Stone feels just as much a part of the narrative as any of the main game's quest lines, but stands on its own as a memorable adventure. It may have its negative moments and the pacing may be broken at certain intervals, but The Witcher 3's first paid expansion is well worth the return to the Northern Kingdoms. There's a point when a character whistles the boss fight music. And just when you're sure one such encounter is coming, he walks away to that haunting tune, without so much as a fistfight. This is what Hearts of Stone does best. It takes our expectations and runs with them.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 08:30 pm
 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's latest expansion, Hearts of Stone, brings new villains to the table. The Caretaker is one of the more... interesting ones. The Hearts of Stone expansion releases October 13th, for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 07:30 pm
 Join us as we explore four of the most notorious factions in the Fallout universe.
By Anonymous on Oct 08, 2015 05:30 pm
Of all the things Civilization: Beyond Earth's first expansion accomplishes, the greatest is this: it sorts through centuries of war, politics, and future technology, to reveal the personalities behind it all. Developer Firaxis Games has a reputation for making bold expansions, and Rising Tide is no exception. It doesn't just add content to the sci-fi strategy game--it reimagines certain systems altogether, and brings real characters into the formula. And despite a few cloying issues, Rising Tide's changes make for a more balanced, and more memorable, empire-building experience. As in Beyond Earth, Rising Tide puts you in the throne--or council chamber, depending on the leader you choose to be--as you guide your civilization to victory on alien planets in the distant future. The chariots and compound bows of human history are absent. This is a world of exo suits, plasma weapons, and sterile, bulbous architecture. There's a sense of otherworldliness here that earlier Civilizations don't contain. Although there are still five paths to victory, both peaceful and otherwise, the methods of reaching them have changed. For the first time, Rising Tide lets you colonize the seas. So while naval combat and exploration are still key factors in any smart ruler's strategy, this expansion brings cities--complete with all their commerce, resources, and hardworking people--into the waves. The Chungsu faction is one of the few that can land on water immediately.This feature would be novel enough on its own, but Firaxis wasn't content to duplicate land tactics in a maritime setting. In Rising Tide, ocean cities can move. It takes a few turns, depending on the city's production rating, but these floating metropolises can travel across water, one hexagonal tile at a time, in any direction you choose. The result is a dichotomy between your thinking on land and your approach at sea. While continental settlements still grow out from the center, forming clean circles of multicolored tiles, oceanic territories take on a snaking, amorphous shape in their search for better resources. And because citizens can still only work tiles within three spaces of the nearest city, building a seafaring province can mean dealing with loss: short term gains are far more valuable at sea, where resources are ephemeral, and cities might abandon farms, generators, and academies in an instant. Floating metropolises can travel across water, one hexagonal tile at a time, in any direction you choose.
My first floating city, for example, landed in the center of a great lake. But as the years passed and my people developed new technologies, I moved it up along the coast, where clusters of Firaxite deposits increased my naval unit production. Then, 150 turns later, with my Deep Space Telescope sailing through the stars, I prepped my civilization for the final stages of a Contact victory. I moved my city back down along the coast, toward a more defensible area with mountains at my back. I knew enemy armies would come with advanced weapons of their own, and ocean cities have lower defense ratings than their land counterparts. Holding out for victory while I built my alien beacon would not be easy. And just like that, my prediction rang true: all of my allies declared war. One by one, I watched my longstanding relationships deteriorate through Rising Tide's new diplomacy system, a feature which, in the grand scheme of things, is just as significant as sea colonization. Investing in new personality traits can result in a variety of perks.Through this new diplomacy system, you strike international deals, manage alliances, and change your own leader's personality traits by spending diplomatic capital. Much like culture or energy, this resource accumulates through various perks and buildings, as well as through deals with other leaders. Those figures will, in turn, come to fear or respect you. Build up a big enough army and they'll accept your deals in awe. But manage your civ with a wise leader's acumen, and surrounding dignitaries will join out of admiration. This leads to alliances, new relationships to leverage, and easier deal propositions. If a leader doesn't have a strong opinion either way, they'll be harder to sway. This diplomacy system remedies several complaints I had with Beyond Earth. First, it adds dynamism to otherwise boring mid-game turns. Beyond Earth is a more nuanced experience throughout, and managing deals and personality traits in pursuit of perks creates more involved playthroughs. But this feature does something more: it injects personality into Beyond Earth. The leaders develop unique idiosyncrasies, growing into angry tyrants or peaceful visionaries. They turn jealous when I make deals with their enemies. They scoff when I refuse their own. And after a while, I developed opinions about each one of them. I respected Daoming. I ignored Duncan Hughes. I despised Rejinaldo. Leaders develop unique idiosyncrasies, growing into angry tyrants or peaceful visionaries. They turn jealous when I make deals with their enemies. They scoff when I refuse their own.
By offering insight into my strategy, and reacting based on existing relationships, these commanders exhibit believable choices at the futuristic round table. I considered interactions in a more careful manner, afraid I might tip the scales if I pushed too hard. However, it's often unclear why a ruler approves or disapproves of your actions. This is important, because it's these opinions that affect their standing toward your nation. At one point, Rejinaldo, Brasilia's leader, laughed at my production rates, only to compliment them once I raised them a mere two points higher. It seemed opaque, and Rising Tide didn't offer any quantitative explanation for the man's change of heart. Less robotic AI is welcome, but less logical characters is a step too far. There can also be an overload of information farther into games, when every ruler sounds off on each move I make. The constant chime sometimes diminishes much of the impact these comments had in the first place. The new primordial biome hosts its own variety of dangers.But these characters still feel genuine. This isn't the level of characterization you'll find in a role-playing game or story driven experience, but when Brasilia's hardheaded leader formed a blockade across my main trade route, refused any offer of peace, and picked off my workers one by one, he elicited real anger from me. It wasn't frustration with the game, or even with "that militaristic tyrant who's disrupting my energy supply." It was frustration with Rejinaldo. Rising Tide brings other content to Beyond Earth as well, from new factions to new planet types. But these additions pale in comparison to the systemic changes Firaxis has made. There are bothersome issues with the new diplomacy approach, and some of these mechanics are too obfuscated to call excellent. But Rising Tide encourages new ways of thinking, and lends character to a very impersonal subject. That old Civilization mantra still echoes, just like it used to: One more turn.
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